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The first case of the deadly Ebola virus diagnosed on US soil has been
confirmed in Dallas, Texas.
Officials at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital say the unidentified
patient is being kept in isolation
The man is thought to have contracted the virus in Liberia before
travelling to the US nearly two weeks ago.
More than 3,000 people have already died of Ebola in West Africa and a
small number of US aid workers have recovered after being flown to the
US.
"An individual travelling from Liberia has been diagnosed with Ebola
in the United States," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Director Thomas Frieden told reporters on Tuesday.
According to Mr Frieden, the unnamed patient left Liberia on 19
September and arrived in the US the next day without displaying any
symptoms of the virus.
Symptoms of the virus became apparent on 24 September, and on 28
September he was admitted to a Texas hospital and put in isolation.
Preliminary information indicates the unnamed patient was not involved
in treating Ebola-infected patients while in Liberia.
Health officials are working to identify all people who came into
contact with the unnamed patient while he was infectious.
Those people will then be monitored for 21 days to see if an
Ebola-related fever develops.
"The bottom line here is I have no doubt that we will control this
importation, this case of Ebola, so it does not spread widely in this
country," Mr Frieden said. "We will stop it here."
The World Health Organization (WHO) says more than 3,000 people have
died of the virus so far, mostly in Liberia.
It is the world's most deadly outbreak of the virus.
Credit: BBC
